WBEZ | Cheryl Raye-Stouthttp://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout
Latest from WBEZ Chicago Public RadioenChicago has the Stanley Cup, now what?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~3/4gRgXsepTrY/after-hockey-celebration-now-what-107891
<p><div class="image-insert-image "><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/rsz_cub_fans_nam_y_huh.jpg" style="float: right; height: 198px; width: 300px;" title="Chicago fans will have a tough summer with hockey done. (AP Photo/Nam Y.Huh)" /><strong>What&#39;s next for the Blackhawks</strong></div><p>Now that the hockey season is over, the Blackhawks have to deal with their free agents and the draft. The team traded Dave Bolland to the Toronto Maple Leafs for three draft picks. They also sent Michael Frolik to the Winnipeg Jets for addition draft selections.</p><p>These moves allowed the team to re-sign&nbsp;Bryan Bickell to a four year deal. The salary cap forced changes again with the roster, but not ones as difficult as the 2010 changes.&nbsp;Still, it is hard for the fans to see&nbsp;Bolland, known as &quot;the Rat,&quot; leave after scoring the winning goal for the title.&nbsp;</p><p>Frolik had a big role&nbsp;with the team&#39;s penalty&nbsp;kill unit.&nbsp;Restricted free agent Nick Leddy said he also wants to remain a Hawk. General Manager Stan Bowman said he is more than likely to match any offer. The one free agent who seems to be leaving is Viktor Stalberg. The Swedish winger showed emotion when I asked him about his situation. He thought his lack of playing time put him in a difficult spot.</p><p>&ldquo;It was one of the toughest things to go through,&rdquo; he said. He also said he doesn&rsquo;t want to play the same role again. Expect him to play somewhere else.</p><p><strong>Chicago baseball update</strong></p><p>It is almost gratifying to realize the hockey has overshadowed a very bad baseball season. Both teams have languished in the bottom of their divisions. The Cubs&nbsp;continue their rebuilding effort and&nbsp;the Sox are a very flat team.&nbsp;It appears the most interesting news for the Cubs and White Sox is who will get traded at the deadline the end of next month. With scouts lining up to watch Matt Garza pitch yesterday, he is a strong candidate for another team. The right hander&rsquo;s health is the biggest concern for a trading partner. Scott Feldman has pitched well enough to get a look by teams. The Cubs best hurler has been Travis Wood. He should be a keeper at this point.&nbsp;</p><p>The White Sox have to figure out if it is time to wave the &ldquo;white flag&rdquo; on a team that has underperformed and has looked bad on offense and horrible on defense. There are not many commodities to make deals. Jake Peavy is still nursing a broken rib. The Sox pitcher is expected to return after the All-Star break. Another player that may draw interest is Alex Rios.&nbsp; The Sox outfielder has been the most consistent hitter on the club. The best player that will be made available is Jesse Crain.&nbsp;So the&nbsp;most exciting day for baseball may be July 31: the trading deadline.</p><p><strong>Bears training camp in sight</strong></p><p>Bears fans can circle July 26 for a chance to see the team in action for the first time since Marc Trestman took over as head coach. That first practice in Bourbonnais will not be with pads. Those workouts start July 28. After attending the Bears OTA&rsquo;s and mini-camps, fans will have plenty to watch.</p><p><strong>New Bulls in the fold</strong></p><p>On Thursday night the Chicago Bulls took a guard/small forward Tony Snell from New Mexico in the first round of the NBA draft. He is considered a good shooter and is best in the &ldquo;catch and shoot&rdquo; role. Defense is also considered an asset. When you take the 20th selection, who knows. The team did do well with Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson in the range of the first round. The took Erik Murphy a 6&#39;10&quot; forward from University of Florida in the second round.</p><p><strong>Chicago Sky and Fire</strong></p><p>The WNBA&#39;s Chicago Sky hopes to make the playoffs this year. They may have some of the pieces in place. Rookie Elena Delle Donne with veterans Sylvia Fowles and Epiphanny Prince have a winning record at 7-3 and a post-season appearance would help this franchise get legitimate interest.</p><p>The Chicago Fire has rebounded from a slow start this season. The MLS soccer team is 5-1-2 since their last loss on May 18. Right now the Fire is 5-7-3 overall.</p><p><em>Follow Cheryl on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Crayestout" target="_blank">@CRayeStout</a> and Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame" target="_blank">Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame</a></em></p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~4/4gRgXsepTrY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:00:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/after-hockey-celebration-now-what-107891http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/after-hockey-celebration-now-what-107891Can we call this a Blackhawks dynasty? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~3/_QAD_WIDoAM/can-we-call-blackhawks-dynasty-107848
<p><div class="image-insert-image "><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/rsz_toews_cup_elise_amendola.jpg" style="float: right; height: 226px; width: 300px;" title="Could there be more future Cup hoisting for the Blackhawks? (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)" />Can we dare say this Blackhawks team may be turning into a dynasty?</div><p>Winning the Stanley Cup in 2010 and now 2013 is a very good indicator that this team is on the right track.</p><p>It is up to the club&rsquo;s front office led by Stan Bowman with a lot of input by his highly regarded father, Scotty Bowman.</p><p>After 2010&#39;s win, Bowman had to make difficult decisions to shed players and payroll to meet the hard salary cap.</p><p>Gone were very important cogs to that title: Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg, Troy Brouwer, Brian Campbell, Tomas Kopecky, Ben Eager, Adam Burish and Antti Niemi.</p><p>The most important aspect was keeping the team&rsquo;s core players in place: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Dave Bolland, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson.</p><p>Hjalmarsson was a restricted free agent after the 2010 season and the Blackhawks matched the San Jose offer to retain the young defenseman.</p><p>Now the club has a similar scenario: Nick Leddy is also a young, restricted free agent. His quickness is a huge asset and he has room to grow.</p><p>The other big decision is what to do with free agents Bryan Bickell, Viktor Stalberg and Ray Emery.</p><p>Bickell, a former second round draft pick, had a heck of a post season. He scored nine playoff goals, including the game tying goal, in the now famous 17 second scoring spurt of the deciding Game 6.</p><p>The game winner by Bolland could be his last as a Hawk. There has been speculation that he could be traded. So again, Stan Bowman has the tough task of tinkering with his newly crowned championship roster.</p><p>Last year he stood pat with his club and made one deal at the deadline that didn&rsquo;t seem significant: acquiring Michal Handzus. The 36-year-old center had some good moments during the playoffs. It was very touching to see Toews make the first handoff of the Cup to the veteran Handzus.</p><p>Now the core of the team has capture two titles. And Kane is just 24; Toews is 25. Both have won the Conn Smythe Trophy and once coach Joel Quenneville put them together on the top line their production was a major factor for winning.</p><p>Patrick Sharp led the NHL with 10 post season goals. He rebounded well after suffering a shoulder injury during the regular season. Seabrook and Keith were stellar with their defensive play. Seabrook snapped out of a bad stretch early in the playoffs. &nbsp;</p><p>One of the reasons, beside roster issues, that the Hawks can be a dynasty is the man behind the mustache: Quenneville. He made adjustments with his lines, he sat players that needed to realize playing time is tied into good play and he didn&rsquo;t make excuses. During the strike-shortened season, the Blackhawks coach did a masterful job of resting his players with limited practices. He used both his goalies, Corey Crawford and Ray Emery, with the condensed schedule. Once Quenneville settled on Crawford for the playoffs (Emery&rsquo;s injury made the decision easy), he remained a strong supporter to his young goalie. In my mind, Crawford had only one glitch in the playoffs, Game 5 of the Stanley Cup and he won. The Hawks goalie really should have won the Conn Smythe Trophy. His role was very significant for all of the playoffs. This isn&rsquo;t a knock on&nbsp; Patrick Kane. But to me Crawford had the toughest job and came out on top.</p><p>During the season, the team has developed some young players to add to their core, Brandon Saad (20), Andrew Shaw (21), Marcus Kruger (23) and Michael Frolik (25). Kruger and Frolik have become a great duo on the penalty kill. There are also some players to watch on the Rockford minor league team.</p><p>So maybe the Blackhawks can bank a few more Stanley Cup victories in the years to come. Maybe we have a dynasty in the making in Chicago.</p><p><em>Follow Cheryl on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Crayestout" target="_blank">@CRayeStout</a> and Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame" target="_blank">Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame </a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~4/_QAD_WIDoAM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Wed, 26 Jun 2013 06:00:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/can-we-call-blackhawks-dynasty-107848http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/can-we-call-blackhawks-dynasty-107848Chicago is on the brink of hoisting the Cuphttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~3/CWstXrn6JJs/chicago-brink-hoisting-cup-107818
<p><div class="image-insert-image "><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/rsz_ap%20Charles%20rex%20arbogast.jpg" style="height: 428px; width: 620px;" title="Ptrick Kane and Corey Crawford have paved the way for Blackhawks championship. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) " /></div><p>It is amusing how people that normally could care less about hockey are now into it.</p><p>Something about winning and the excitement attached to it is very infectious. At a family wedding last Friday, I had become a listener to everyone&rsquo;s opinions about the Blackhawks, even though I have been covering the Blackhawks the whole regular and post season.</p><p>People want to tell me what is happening, or quote the &ldquo;experts,&rdquo; prior to the past month, many of these folks didn&rsquo;t care to speak about icing, or glove side or controlling the puck. Now they do &ndash; and that&rsquo;s OK.</p><p>Just think: this NHL season was in a dire spot. It was dangerously close to being canceled and it was saved. A 48-game schedule was put in place and it had an interesting twist, since teams only played against their conference opponents. It would make this Stanley Cup Finals much more intriguing than anyone could imagine.</p><p>NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman can thank his lucky stars that the Blackhawks created a huge interest with the start the they had for this shortened season. With 24 straight games, they earned a point.</p><p>It even caught the attention of a NBA superstar LeBron James.&nbsp; He was in the middle of an incredible winning streak; he commented and Tweeted about the Hawks. The night the Bulls stopped that streak, Blackhawk star Patrick Kane was at the United Center for the basketball game. We had a nice chat about the mutual respect he and James have towards each other.</p><p>Now, Kane and his teammates are on the verge of doing what LeBron and the Miami Heat did last week: win a championship. The Hawks are up three games to two over the Boston Bruins and tonight they can win Lord Stanley&rsquo;s Cup on the road at TD Garden.</p><p>Winning game five was in large part because Patrick Kane shined like the star that he is scoring two goals. Kane now has an opportunity to repeat what he and the Blackhawks accomplished three years ago, winning the Cup in enemy territory.</p><p>Who could forget when the 21 year old Kane scored the winning goal in Game 6 overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime?</p><p>When it happened, hardly anybody knew it had gotten past Flyer goalie Mike Leighton. It ended a 49-year-old drought and now Kane wonders if his team has a chance to re-create the same situation in Boston.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&#39;t&nbsp;know,&nbsp;I&nbsp;think&nbsp;the&nbsp;stars would have to be aligned right for it to happen&nbsp;like&nbsp;that&nbsp;again,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>A couple of stars may either miss or may be limited, Boston&rsquo;s Patrice Bergeron did not skate on Sunday and his status is day-to-day. For the Blackhawks, Jonathan Toews is apparently better and may return after sitting out the third period on Saturday. Both are crucial to their respected teams. The absence of Bergeron allows the Hawks to win more face-offs. &nbsp;Hockey players are amazing in how much they will play with the injuries they endure. (Or maybe they are a bit crazy)</p><p>If the Blackhawks are able to beat the Bruins tonight, there will be a matter of which player would be named the Conn Smythe winner (the Finals MVP). There would be several candidates, Kane, Patrick Sharp and Corey Crawford. Yes, Crawford has a tough Game 4, but he rebounded very well on Saturday.</p><p>It is so close that it may come down to the biggest star, in possibly the biggest game of these Finals tonight. And if the Hawks are unable to close the deal, they have a chance to do it at the United Center on Wednesday.&nbsp;</p><p>You have the feeling this city is about ready to burst with excitement, even if most became fans just a few weeks ago.</p><p><em>Follow Cheryl on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Crayestout">@CRayeStout</a>&nbsp;and Facebook Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame">http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame</a></em></p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~4/CWstXrn6JJs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Mon, 24 Jun 2013 06:00:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/chicago-brink-hoisting-cup-107818http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/chicago-brink-hoisting-cup-107818Hockey, youth baseball bring Chicago and Boston togetherhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~3/JNpjjNYpVvs/hockey-youth-baseball-bring-chicago-and-boston-together-107792
<p><div class="image-insert-image "><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/rsz_brent_seabrook__game_winner_4_harry_how.jpg" style="float: right; height: 323px; width: 300px;" title="Blackhawks and Bruins knotted at 2 , thanks to Brent Seabrook.(AP Photo/Harry How)" />Despite the warming temperatures, the rush of cold air and glistening ice is still the center of attention for Chicago and Boston fans. What a blast the NHL Stanley Cup Finals is right now. And of course, it was the blast off the stick of Brent Seabrook that propelled the Blackhawks to a 6-5 overtime win.</div><div class="image-insert-image ">&nbsp;</div><div class="image-insert-image ">With the series tied at two games each, the Blackhawks have the momentum.</div><p>If this isn&rsquo;t entertaining then get your pulse checked. Wednesday&rsquo;s game had two goal leads by the Hawks only to be vanquished by the Bruins.</p><p>Goalies who have been at the top of their game both had a hard time. Stars that needed to shine did just that and so did some players with lesser accomplishments. Both team&rsquo;s defense had lapses, but for some reason the non-hockey purists don&rsquo;t care (lighting the lamp is more entertaining).</p><p>Boston and Chicago both love their sports teams. Fans on the East Coast were gracious to Midwesterners who graced their city for the two Stanley Cup games this week.</p><p>Whenever I travel to an event I spend time talking to the locals. This was one of many visits to Boston. My response is always favorable to that city and its narrow streets, rich with history, interesting people and great food.</p><p>Boston has had a sad, yet, resilient feel to it since that day in April when two bombs tore through the Boston Marathon. It doesn&#39;t feel like a city of victims, but strong-willed survivors. There are banners and T-shirts that emphasis their saying, &ldquo;Boston Strong&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p><p>When you walk down Boylston Street where the two explosions happened, there are few reminders or remnants at those two sites. Instead the memorial was moved down the street to Copley Square, where hundreds of running shoes, notes, and pictures are neatly displayed to honor the ones that died or were injured. It also felt like it was honoring that city and everyone that it touched that day. You can only hope that they will heal someday.</p><p>Back here in Chicago, the Blackhawks and Bruins will play Game 5 Saturday night. In the morning, there will be another Boston-Chicago sporting event on a smaller scale.</p><p>The Inaugural Summer City Classic will be played at Les Miller Field, at University of Illinois-Chicago Baseball Park. Chicago&rsquo;s Jackie Robinson West Little League team will take on the Boston Astros. It is an effort to bring urban youth together on the baseball field in a friendly competition and spotlight the need to help these kids look for a positive direction.</p><p>It will be presented by the &ldquo;Foundation to be Named Later,&rdquo; and sponsored by Cubs President Theo Epstein and his twin brother, Paul, a social worker. The Epstein brothers and two advocates for urban youth, Robert Lewis Jr. and Eric Davis are trying to make a difference in the community.</p><p>Theo and Paul will be the &ldquo;acting&rdquo; managers, and Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper and Hall of Famer Peter Gammons will &ldquo;call the game&rdquo;. The game is free and starts at 9:30 am.</p><p>Chicago and Boston bonding with sports is a good thing on any level.</p><p><em>Follow Cheryl on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Crayestout" target="_blank">@CRayeStout</a> and Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame" target="_blank">Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame </a></em></p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~4/JNpjjNYpVvs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Fri, 21 Jun 2013 06:00:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/hockey-youth-baseball-bring-chicago-and-boston-together-107792http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/hockey-youth-baseball-bring-chicago-and-boston-together-107792Seven ways the Blackhawks can steal back the serieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~3/_drKPs1n31E/seven-ways-blackhawks-can-steal-back-series-107760
<p><div class="image-insert-image "><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/rsz_bickell-jagr_game_3_ap%20elise%20Amendola.jpg" style="float: right; height: 215px; width: 300px;" title="Bryan Bickell gets hit by 41-year-old Jaromir Jagr in Game 3. (AP/File)" />On social media, Blackhawks fans make it sound like the Stanley Cup is a lost cause. After losing 2-0 on Monday, tonight they play Game 4 in Boston with the Bruins up 2 games to 1 in the Finals.</div><p>While fans are in a state of panic, Hawks players remain confident in Boston since they believe they can rebound and stay in this playoff series for the long haul.</p><p><strong>What do the Blackhawks have to do to even up the series?</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Power outage.</strong> With scoring at a premium it would nice if they could solve their huge problem with the power play. They are 0-11 in this series and the Bruins have scored twice with the man advantage. Not that they can magically make it right (since it has been wrong all season), but at least get some shots in.</li><li><strong>Win a face off.</strong> The Hawks lost 40 of 56 chances overall in Monday&rsquo;s game. Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was nearly perfect handling that chore on Monday. Dave Bolland and Mike Handzus (and to a lesser extent, Jonathan Toews) were completely handcuffed in face-offs. If you don&rsquo;t control the puck then, you relinquish your opportunities to score.</li><li><strong>Don&rsquo;t get frustrated</strong> (Talking to you, Bolland.) That plays into the Bruins hands with turnovers and dumb penalties. Boston can frustrate a team: they know how to take advantage when they get into a player&rsquo;s head.</li><li><strong>Get some traffic in front of the net</strong> Yes, Zdeno Chara is a big dude and the Bruins are tough. In the first game, Andrew Shaw did a decent job there. Bryan Bickell has not been a factor since the previous playoff rounds. Another aspect missing from the first game, Hawks also did plenty of hitting, that hasn&rsquo;t been the case since that overtime win.</li><li><strong>Set some goals.</strong> All this points to is putting the pressure on Boston goalie Tuukka Rask. The Blackhawks speed and skill has been negated by the Bruins defense.</li><li><strong>Hoss in the saddle</strong>. Coach Quenneville said yesterday that Marian Hossa will likely play tonight. Hossa is one of the most productive players on the ice: he has 14 points in 9 playoff games this year. Ben Smith is a good player, but is limited to match what the Slovak winger can bring this situation.</li><li><strong>Line dancing.</strong> Quenneville has to make the right moves with his lines. The Hawks&#39; coach has been able to mix and match and it has worked more often than not. Now he has to be almost perfect, especially if his team suffers another loss. Going with Viktor Stalberg or Brandon Bolig should work, and maybe putting Patrick Kane and Toews together. Heads were still scratching with Ben Smith replacing Hossa since Smith had not played in quite a while. Coach Q was asked several questions about the mystery surrounding not the injury, but when it happened and how it was handled. There was no direct answer.</li></ul><p>Both teams had optional work-outs yesterday, so few players practiced. Trying to read the body language of the Blackhawks in the locker room, you would have no clue they are down in this series. Mainly, they know if they even the series tonight, then all, or most, of the problems have been solved by the Hawks. It is hard to tell if their confidence is wavering. That will be determined when the puck drops for Game 4 in Boston.</p><p><em>Follow Cheryl on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Crayestout" target="_blank">@CRayeStout</a> and Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame" target="_blank">Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame </a></em></p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~4/_drKPs1n31E" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:02:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/seven-ways-blackhawks-can-steal-back-series-107760http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/seven-ways-blackhawks-can-steal-back-series-107760Blackhawks in Boston for Game 3 tonighthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~3/RZQeIbppq2o/blackhawks-boston-game-3-tonight-107721
<p><p><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/rsz_1crawford_game_2_charles_rex_arbogasst.jpg" style="height: 391px; width: 620px;" title="Corey Crawford couldn't make the save in overtime. (AP/File)" />It&#39;s back to work for the Blackhawks tonight with the series in Boston tied at one game apiece. There&#39;s a feeling that the Bruins may have not only stolen the home ice advantage but also taken the momentum.&nbsp; It was a bitter pill for the Hawks to swallow losing Game 2 in overtime at home. The Bruins clearly played better in the extra period.</p><p>So now the next two games will be Boston Monday and Wednesday night. The Blackhawks know the crowd will be as loud as the one the Bruins faced at the United Center. &nbsp;</p><p>Chicago&#39;s Duncan Keith says it won&#39;t faze the team.</p><p>&ldquo;We go into these games knowing that everybody in the building&rsquo;s going to be against us,&rdquo; Keith said. &ldquo;I think we just try and block everything out.&rdquo;</p><p>One matter the Hawks have to cure: scoring when they have the opportunity. The Hawks peppered Boston goalie Tuukka Rask in the opening period and then it was a stone wall after that.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like you&rsquo;re going to have momentum or dominate a full three periods,&rdquo; Hawks winger Patrick Kane said.</p><p>The Bruins have clogged up the center of the ice and stopped the flow of the Blackhawks transition game.</p><p>Coach Joel Quenneville tried to put a finger on what Boston is doing to his team.</p><p>&ldquo;The neutral zone, the way they check, defend, they&rsquo;re very patient in that area,&rdquo; he said. &nbsp;</p><p>Watch the Blackhawks on the power play. This has been a problem all season long, so there is no surprise that they are still unable to notch a goal with their opportunity. &nbsp;</p><p>At least they still have a solid penalty kill, anchored by Michael Frolik and Marcus Kruger. Their chemistry during the kill has been extraordinary. The only time the Bruins have scored on the power play Frolik was in the penalty box.</p><p>The NHL announced all the individual player awards and only one Hawk received an honor: Jonathan Toews. He won the Selke trophy for top defensive forward. Brandon Saad came in third for the Calder award for the top rookie.</p><p>Of course, the only trophy Toews and his teammates want to win is the Stanley Cup. They need to win one of the two games in Boston to get back the home ice advantage. In the post-season Game 3 has been difficult for the Hawks: they are 0-3. Maybe they can break that trend tonight.</p><p><em>Follow Cheryl on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Crayestout" target="_blank">@CRayeStout</a>&nbsp;and Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame" target="_blank">Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame</a>&nbsp;</em></p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~4/RZQeIbppq2o" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:16:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/blackhawks-boston-game-3-tonight-107721http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/blackhawks-boston-game-3-tonight-107721Blackhawks (and fans) rest up, Bulls memories and Bears camphttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~3/9w36eAIBj4w/blackhawks-and-fans-rest-bulls-memories-and-bears-camp-107695
<p><p><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/Lions%20hockey%20Scott%20eisen.jpg" style="height: 450px; width: 300px; float: right;" title="Blackhawks own the town this weekend. (AP Photo/Scott Eisen)" />Had enough rest after game one of the Stanley Cup Finals? Everyone has one more day before the Blackhawks and Bruins get back into action at the United Center. The teams will hold workouts and look to make any adjustments. This match-up could be one for the ages. The national and local television ratings are the highest in 16 years. It is great to still hear Eddie Olczyk, but it is a shame it is without Pat Foley.</p><p>I suggest listening to the game action on WGN Radio or WGN online. John Wiedeman and Troy Murray do a terrific job on the broadcast. John&rsquo;s play by play is really astounding, crisp, accurate and very exciting, coupled with the former Hawks Murray, they are an underrated pair doing radio sports in Chicago.&nbsp;The Hawks own the attention in Chicago this weekend. Both the White Sox and Cubs are on the road. This has been an abysmal year on both sides of Chicago baseball.</p><p><strong>Remember when the Bulls owned this month?</strong></p><p>June use to be a great month for NBA Finals for Chicago. Twice on this day the Bulls won NBA Championships: beating Portland in 1992 and Utah in 1998. &nbsp;</p><p>The game against the Trailblazers was one of the most unbelievable comebacks. The Bulls were down by 15 in the fourth&nbsp;quarter and Phil Jackson put all bench players, like Bobby Hansen, into the game. They went on a 14-2 run and earned their second title with a 97-93 final.</p><p>The 1998 NBA Championship was Michael Jordan&#39;s last game in a Bulls uniform and the sixth and final title. Jordan went out in style: the Bulls were down by one and Jordan stole the ball and scored the winning bucket with 5.2 seconds left it gave the Bulls an 87-86 win over Utah.</p><p>After the game, some of the Chicago media was around when the Jazz Stadium crew was dismantling the floor and baskets. A pair of scissors gave us an opportunity to get a piece of the netting from the basket that Michael made his final basket. &nbsp;At the time, we had no idea that it would be his final shot ever as a Bull.</p><p><strong>Football on a break</strong></p><p>The Bears wrapped up a mandatory mini-camp this week. New head coach Marc Trestman believes the team is absorbing his playbook. It was hard to tell from the sidelines what strides the Bears have made. We&rsquo;ll know more when they put on the pads in Bourbonnais next month. That will also be the first time since rookie camp the team&rsquo;s number one draft pick Kyle Long will be able to join them. Because of NCAA regulations, Long has had to wait until his school semester is finished. However, he was in town all week. Kyle likes to tweet a lot about his whereabouts.</p><p><em>Follow Cheryl on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Crayestout" target="_blank">@CRayeStout</a>&nbsp;and Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame" target="_blank">Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame</a>&nbsp;</em></p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~4/9w36eAIBj4w" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:00:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/blackhawks-and-fans-rest-bulls-memories-and-bears-camp-107695http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/blackhawks-and-fans-rest-bulls-memories-and-bears-camp-107695 Stanley Cup time, Tweet trouble and more sports newshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~3/aIEMahsro4g/stanley-cup-time-tweet-trouble-and-more-sports-news-107652
<p><p><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/rsz_the_cup.jpg" style="float: right; height: 371px; width: 300px;" title="Going for the Cup with the Finals begin tonight.(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)" />Once the puck drops at the United Center, both the Blackhawks and Bruins can finally play a game instead of talking about everything under the sun.</p><p>Yesterday the NHL held its media day for the two teams and the players were questioned about everything. Most of the questions were about the goalie match-up, not facing each other during the regular season, winning the Cup in recent years and the style of play.</p><p>A couple of nuggets of knowledge that were unearthed:</p><p>A local TV news reporter asked players what their superstitions were before they play? Most players didn&rsquo;t have anything colorful. Patrick Sharp said he kisses his little girl before he leaves his home.</p><p>Brent Seabrook will join Keith as a new father soon. Keith also let the world know that Patrick Kane has a girlfriend.&nbsp;</p><p>Game time cannot come soon enough.</p><p>There was one item in the media room that impresses me anytime I see it: Lord Stanley&rsquo;s Cup. It is still the coolest trophy symbolizing a championship. We got to see it here three years ago.&nbsp;</p><p>Championship fever in Chicago has the usual touches: the buildings downtown are lit with Go Hawks signs and the Art Institute will put the Blackhawk helmets on its lions. People have Hawk flags on their cars and jersey and T-shirt sales are brisk.&nbsp;</p><p>Don&rsquo;t ask the NHL to be a travel guide for Chicago visitors. They have shipped the traveling media to hotels in Gurnee. That nice long commute&nbsp;is one way to tick off a writer from Boston. I guess if they want to go shop at Gurnee Mills or go to Great America on their off days it wouldn&rsquo;t be so bad. But still, Gurnee?! &nbsp;</p><h2><strong>To tweet or not to tweet</strong></h2><p>How dumb can a player be for using 140 characters to get a team mad enough to suspend you and likely get rid of you? That is what Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart did late Monday/early Tuesday. The often injured Cub is disgruntled toiling in the minors. He ripped the team&#39;s management and specifically manager Dale Sveum for keeping him in Iowa. The irony to his situation, Sveum told the media he was considering bringing him up to the parent club. That is not going to happen. Instead Cubs President Theo Epstein has suspended Stewart and is working out his future situation, probably a one way ticket out of the organization. Stewart did tweet out an apology. The Cubs are using the loyalty clause to support their decision. I suggest one thing for players: if you use Twitter, think before you tweet.</p><p>Had to ask Theo about the Cup. He is from Boston and wouldn&rsquo;t say who he is rooting for in this series. Got a feeling he has hopes for the Bruins.</p><p>How often do the Bears hold a mandatory mini-camp and it does not lead the Chicago sports media? Almost never. Guess the Hawks own Chicago right now.</p><p><em>Follow Cheryl on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Crayestout" target="_blank">@CRayeStout</a>&nbsp;and Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame" target="_blank">Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame</a>&nbsp;</em></p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~4/aIEMahsro4g" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:19:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/stanley-cup-time-tweet-trouble-and-more-sports-news-107652http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/stanley-cup-time-tweet-trouble-and-more-sports-news-107652Get on board with the Blackhawkshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~3/_JsOYMv9tbc/get-board-blackhawks-107603
<p><p><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/rsz_patrick_kane_charles_rex_arbogast.jpg" style="height: 272px; width: 350px; float: right;" title="Patrick Kane's hat trick is part of the fun of the Blackhawks. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)" />Have you caught the Blackhawks fever yet? Here are the symptoms:</p><ul><li>Twisted stomachs</li><li>Lots of yelling</li><li>Knowing the chorus to Chelsea Dagger</li><li>Cheering at the top of your lungs as Jim Cornelison sings the National Anthem at the United Center</li></ul><p>Being late to the party is just fine. But it&#39;s time to give your full attention to the Stanley Cup Finals as Chicago takes on the Boston Bruins.</p><p><strong>A Stanley Cup for the history books</strong></p><p>Everyone who knows a little bit about hockey knows that this is a very special pairing of teams from the &ldquo;Original Six&rdquo;.&nbsp; For decades Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Montreal, Toronto and New York (Rangers) were the whole league. After the expansion in 1967, the NHL added more teams and diminished the spotlight on these six clubs. These teams do not have many meetings during the regular season. And not since 1979&#39;s Rangers vs. Canadians match up have two of the original teams met in a Stanley Cup Final.</p><p>That are good reasons this is a special match-up it is a way for history to be told and for history to be made. That is the way with most sports leagues-we know how much it means in Chicago when the Bears met the Packers. It is not just the proximity of the teams, it is big city versus small town USA- it is the history of these original NFL teams.</p><p><strong>Interesting twist from the NHL lockout</strong></p><p>The NHL&rsquo;s lockout stumbled into a compelling storyline: since the league only had 48 regular season games, it scheduled only games within the Eastern and Western Conferences. That makes this Final intriguing because the teams haven&#39;t faced off yet this season. Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville admitted he has watched all the Bruins playoff games.</p><p>Talking to the Hawks after Saturday&rsquo;s thrilling 4-3 double overtime win, questions about Boston came up. Andrew Shaw spoke about the physical nature of the East coast team, but he hasn&rsquo;t experienced it yet. He talked with fresh bruises and cuts on his face from the Los Angeles Kings. He will definitely feel the brawn of his opponents in this round.</p><p><strong>Boston&rsquo;s heartbreak will be felt</strong></p><p>Just a few months ago, the Boston Marathon bombing affected that city and the rest of the country. When that horrible incident happened it tore at the heart of that city, but it didn&rsquo;t diminish the resolve of Boston. The sports teams in that city, including the Boston Bruins, galvanized the strength and resolve of the Bostonians. So this championship series will likely spotlight the aftermath of that tragedy. Sports have a way of re-kindling the spirit of fans and you can expect that will happen in Boston.</p><p><strong>Quoting Ozzie-yes without profanity</strong></p><p>There is a quote that former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen used, &ldquo;Winning is fun and fun is winning.&rdquo; &nbsp;Even if you are not a hockey fan, or don&rsquo;t know anything about the blue line or high sticking, you can revel in the fun and just join in. That is what these past few weeks have been with the Blackhawks. Watching Bryan Bickell breakout in the playoffs, Corey Crawford mature into an excellent goalie and Patrick Kane score the third goal of his hat trick in double overtime-that is fun!&nbsp;</p><p>Grip the railing and enjoy the ride: there may be another Stanley Cup for Chicago when it ends. &nbsp;</p><p><em>Follow Cheryl on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Crayestout" target="_blank">@CRayeStout</a>&nbsp;and Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame" target="_blank">Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame</a>&nbsp;</em></p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~4/_JsOYMv9tbc" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:00:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/get-board-blackhawks-107603http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/get-board-blackhawks-107603Blackhawks steals one in LA and Chicago baseball hope they picked some starshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~3/eUiSgImJiuU/blackhawks-steals-one-la-and-chicago-baseball-hope-they-picked-some
<p><p><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/rsz_kane_score_in_la_chris_carlson36951234801.jpg" title="Patrick Kane finally scores against LA (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)" />The Hawks did something last night that no other team was able to do this post season: win in Los Angeles. The 3-2 victory by the Blackhawks over the Kings gives them a decisive 3 game to 1 lead over the defending Stanley Cup Champions.</p><p>The Kings were able to grab the lead early in the first period when their high scoring defenseman Slava Voyva took advantage of a Hawk turnover and scored his seventh&nbsp;goal of the playoffs.</p><p>As the Blackhawks best defenseman Duncan Keith was suspended for his retaliation hit on Los Angeles&#39; Jeff Carter, Nik Hjalmarsson was outstanding on the ice. He did all the little things to keep his team in the game. Hjalmarsson had two assists, one in the first period with Michael Frolik that allowed Bryan Bickell to knock in another playoff goal (his eighth). Bickell&rsquo;s post season offensive output has been the most intriguing story this year.</p><p>In the second period, the Kings took a 2-1 advantage when Dustin Penner was able to poke the puck in on a Corey Crawford misplay. Later in the period, it was Hjalmarsson shooting the puck towards the net. Bickell re-directed it and Patrick Kane tipped it in to knot up the game at 2. It was Kane&rsquo;s first goal of this series. Boy, the Blackhawks need him score.</p><p>The best came in the final period when the Hawks took advantage of a LA line change. Slovakian national teammates went to work, Marian Hossa got a pretty pass from Michal Handzus and Hossa scored his tenth&nbsp;playoff game winner. The Hawks held on with the Kings pulling goalie Jonathan Quick at the end. There were no streamers last night at the Staples Center, just shocked fans and Kings players.</p><p>Now the triumphant Blackhawks will come home and have a great opportunity to close out the Western Conference Finals at the United Center on Saturday. It should be a wild night.</p><h2><strong>Bleak outlook for Chicago baseball</strong></h2><p>Last night the future for the Cubs and Sox were in the spotlight with Major League&#39;s Baseball&#39;s 2013 draft.</p><p>The Cubs had the more significant pick since they had the second overall selection. They went with a position player when one of the top pitchers was still available. The Cubs grabbed right-hand hitting third base slugger Kris Bryant next. The 6&#39;5&quot; player is considered a real plum pick to add to this rebuilding team.</p><p>A native of Las Vegas, Bryant is a junior from the University of San Diego and this year he led the nation with home runs (31), runs scored, walks (66) and slugging percentage (.820). As to the player the Cubs passed up, Johnny Gray from Oklahoma went next to Colorado, he is a dominating right hand pitcher. It won&#39;t take long to figure out if the Cubs did a good job with their pick. Bryant will likely be in the minors a year or two.</p><p>The White Sox had a lot of needs to fill since the cupboard is pretty bare in their minor league system. They went with a junior college shortstop, Tim Anderson from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He is considered a speedy, athletic prospect who hit .495 with 10 home runs and 41 stolen bases for East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi. For the second straight year the Sox took an African American player as their top pick.</p><p><em>Follow Cheryl on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Crayestout" target="_blank">@CRayeStout</a>&nbsp;and Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame" target="_blank">Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame&nbsp;</a></em></p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WbezCherylRayeStout/~4/eUiSgImJiuU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Fri, 07 Jun 2013 06:00:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/blackhawks-steals-one-la-and-chicago-baseball-hope-they-picked-somehttp://www.wbez.org/blogs/cheryl-raye-stout/2013-06/blackhawks-steals-one-la-and-chicago-baseball-hope-they-picked-some